Each Regional Pro Tour Qualifier round is preceded by a series of tournaments known as Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers. Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers award invitations to Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers of a specific round. Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers are open tournaments.

The following players may not compete in Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers that award invitations to the designated round of Regional Pro Tour Qualifier:

• Players that have already won a Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier that awards an invitation to the designated round of Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers.
• Players that finished in 5th through 8th place in a non-Magic Online Regional Pro Tour Qualifier with an attendance of 128 or fewer players from the immediately preceding round of Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers (for Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers that award invitations to Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers that are held prior to June 6, 2016).
• Players that finished in 1st through 8th place in a Regional Pro Tour Qualifier from the immediately preceding round of Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers (for Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers that award invitations to Regional Pro Tour Qualifiers that are held June 6, 2016 or later).
• Players with a Pro Tour Players Club Silver, Gold or Platinum level (as of the date of the Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier). Exception is made for any Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier which takes place during a Professional Points Season which awards an invitation to a Regional Pro Tour Qualifier which takes place during a future Professional Points Season. In this case only players whose current Professional Points Season point total is currently less than the Silver level requirement (18 Professional Points) are eligible to participate in a Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifier.
• Players that are members of the Pro Tour Hall of Fame.

All other players that are eligible to play in Sanctioned tournaments may participate in Preliminary Pro Tour Qualifiers.